(1720-88)
CG : London, Covent Garden Theatre
DLT : London, Drury Lane Theatre
FHC : Foundling Hospital Chapel
KT : London, King's Theatre, Haymarket
LIF : Lincoln's Inn Fields
LTH: London, "Little Theatre" in the Haymarket
NMH: Dublin, Mr. Neal's Musick Hall (or the Great Music Hall), Fishamble Street
QT : London, Queen's Theatre, Haymarket
TaG : Theater am Gänsemarkt, Hamburg
WA : Westminster Abbey
NOTE 1: Dates included below for British locations are represented in the Old Style (Julian) up until September 1752 and subsequently in the New Style (Gregorian or continental style). For locations on the Continent, the New Style was used as early as 1700 and in Italy prior to this date. According to the old Julian calendar the year changed on March 25 -- the Feast of the Annunciation. [For example, 31 March 1751 (new style) converts to 20 March 1751 (old style).]
NOTE 2: ( ) = numbers in brackets represent GFH's approximate age in years.
"Man sagt, dass vorbemeldeter Hr. Hendel sich nach Berlin zu begeben entschlossen sey."
"Handel says he will do nothing next Winter, but I hope I shall persuade him to set another Scripture Collection I have made for him, & perform it for his own Benefit in Passion week. I hope he will lay out his whole Genius & Skill upon it, that the Composition may excell all his former Compositions, as the Subject excells every other Subject. The Subject is Messiah."
"I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne, with his Company of Angels."
"I heard with great pleasure at my arrival in Town, that Handel had set the Oratorio of Messiah; but it was some mortification for me to hear that instead of performing it here he was gone into Ireland with it. However I hope we shall hear it when he comes back."
"It was with great Pleasure I saw the Continuation of Your Kindness by the Lines You was pleased to send me, in Order to be prefix'd to Your Oratorio Messiah which I set to Musick before I left England."
"For the Relief of the Prisoners in the several Gaols, and for the Support of Mercer's Hospital in Stephen's Street and of the Charitable Infirmary on the Inns Quay, on Monday the 12th of April [recte April 13], will be performed at the Musick Hall in Fishamble Street, Mr. Handel's new Grand Oratorio, call'd the MESSIAH, in which the Gentlemen of the Choirs of both Cathedrals will assist, with some Concertoes on the Organ, by Mr Handell."
"The Stewards of the Charitable Music Society request the Favour of the Ladies not to come with Hoops this Day to the Musick-Hall in Fishamble Street : The Gentlemen are desired to come without their Swords."
"His Messiah has disappointed me, being set in great hast, tho' he said he would be a year about it, & make it the best of all his Compositions. I shall put no more Sacred Works into his hands, to be thus abus'd."
"As to the Messiah, 'tis still in his power by retouching the weak parts to make it fit for a publick performance; & I have said a great deal to him on the Subject; but he is so lazy and so obstinate, the I much doubt the Effect."
"Handel has set up an Oratorio against the Operas, and succeeds. He has hired all the goddesses from farces and singers of Roast Beef from between the acts at both theatres, with a man with one note in his voice, and a girl without even an one; and so they sing, and make brave hallelujahs; and the good company encore the recitative, if it happens to have any cadence like what they call a tune."
"Handel has a return of his Paralytic Disorder, which affects his Head & Speech."
"We are likely at last to have no Opera next year: Handel has a palsy, and can't compose."
"I don't yet despair of making him retouch the Messiah, at least he shall suffer for his negligence; nay I am inform'd that he has suffer'd, for he told Ld Guernsey, that a letter I wrote him about it contributed to the bringing of his last illness upon him; & it is reported that being a little delirious with a Fever, he said he should be damn'd for preferring Dagon (a Gentlemen he was very complaisant to in the Oratorio of Samson) before the Messiah. This shews that I gall'd him: but I have not done with him yet."
"Semele has a strong party against it, the fine ladies, petit maîtres, and ignoramus's. All the opera people are enrag'd at Handel."
"Handel has promis'd to revise the Oratorio of Messiah, & He & I are very good Friends again. The reason is he has lately lost his Poet Miller, & wants to set me at work for him again."
"Be pleased to point out these passages in t[h]e Messiah which You think require altering."
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"I shall show you a collection I gave Handel, call'd Messiah, which I value highly, & he has made a fine Entertainment of it, tho' not near so good as he might & ought to have done. I have with great difficulty made him correct some of the grossest faults in the composition, but he retain'd his Overture obstinately, in which there are some passages far unworthy of Handel, but much more unworthy of the Messiah."
"Poor Handel looks something better. I hope he will entirely recover in due time, though he has been a good deal disordered in his head."
"I think Hendel now proposes to have but 12 trumpets and 12 French horns; at first there was to have been sixteen of each, and I remember I told the King so, who, at that time, objected to their being any musick; but, when I told him the quantity and nomber of martial musick there was to be, he was better satisfied, and said he hoped there would be no fidles. Now Hendel proposes to lessen the nomber of trumpets &c. and to have violeens. I don't at all doubt but when the King hears it he will be very much displeased..."
pavilion catches on fire and burns to the ground. In a fit of anger, Servandoni draws his sword on Charles Frederick, ("Comptroller of his Majesty's
Fireworks as well as for War as for Triumph"), is disarmed, and spends the night in
prison [Green Park, London] "seen Handel several times...and think I never saw him so cool and well. He is quite easy in his behaviour, and has been pleasing himself in the purchase of several fine pictures, particularly a large Rembrandt, which is indeed excellent..."
"Noble Handel hath lost an eye, but I have the Rapture to say that St Cecilia makes no complaint of any defect in his Fingers".
"Handel you know has composed Jephtha, and I am sorry to say that I believe this Lent will be the last that he will ever be able to preside at an oratorio; for he breaks very much & is I think quite blind in one eye."
"seiz'd a few days ago with a Paralytick Disorder in his Head which has deprived him of Sight".
"it was such a melancholy pleasure, as drew tears of sorrow, to see the great though unhappy Handel, dejected, wan and dark, sitting by, not playing on the harpsichord, and to think how his light had been spent by being overplied in music's cause. I was sorry to find the audience so insipid and tasteless (I may add unkind) not to give the poor man the comfort of applause; but affectation and conceit cannot discern or attend to merit."
"It did not take, it is too solemn for common ears."
"is better than he has been for some years and finds he can compose Chorus's as well as other music to his own...satisfaction. His memory is strengthened of late to an astonishing degree."
"pretty well and has just finished the composing of several new songs for his new singer" (referring to Cassandra Frederick).
"I hope to have the permission of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster to be buried in Westminster Abbey in a private manner at the discretion of my Executor, Mr. Amyand, and I desire that my Executor, may have leave to erect a monument for me there."
"He took leave of all his friends on Friday morning, and desired to see nobody but the Doctor and Apothecary and myself. At 7 o'clock in the evening he took leave of me, and told me we "should meet again"; as soon as I was gone he told his servant 'not to let me come to him any more, for that he had now done with this world'. He died as he lived -- a good Christian, with true sense of his duty to God and man, and in perfect charity with all the world."
"It is computed there were no fewer than 3000 Persons present on this Occasion."
Beneath this Place
Are reposited the Remains of
GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL.
The most Excellent Musician
Any Age ever produced:
Whose Compositions were a
Sentimental Language
Rather than mere Sounds;
And surpassed the Power of Words
In expressing the various Passions
Of the Human Heart.
Last updated : December 27, 2000